Apparatus for ejecting remnants of banding material from a feed system for the same



May 19, 1979 w, VAN' DOQRN ET AL 3,512,772

APPARATUS FOR EJECTING REMNANTS OFYBANDING MATERIAL" FROM A FEED SYSTEM FOR THE SAME Filed June 4. 1968 W L (A N) 52 26 34 M70211); BY Jack L. (alyuef 9 Donald M/ Van Doorn United States: Patent Ofififce 3,512,772 Patented May 19, 1970 APPARATUS FOR EJECTING REMNANTS F BANDIN-G MATERIAL FROM A FEED SYS- TEM FOR THE SAME Donald W. van Doorn, William C. Pease III, and Jack L. Colquett, Columbus, Ga, assignors to Lummus Cotton Gin Company, a corporation of Georgia Filed June 4, 1968, Ser. No. 734,365 Int. Cl. B65h 7/00 US. Cl. 271-57 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Means for feeding banding material of various kinds such as flat strapping, wire and the like, in which a given length of the material is used to band bales, bundles, boxes, and the like. At the end of a supply roll of the material the apparatus automatically, in response to coming to the end of the roll, ejects the short length or remnant of the material, thus eliminating :misbanding of the package due to the attempt to band with less than the required length of the material.

This invention relates to apparatus for feeding banding material such as flat strapping, Wire, and other forms of flexible bands to apparatus for wrapping bales, packages, bundles and the like.

In this art it is customary to feed banding material from a supply roll of the same to a banding apparatus which automatically places the correct length of the material about the package or bundle to be banded, secures a clip about the overlapped ends of the length of material, or in the case of wire, twists the ends, and severs the length from the roll. Such apparatus is well known and is used in various banding or strapping operations.

Our invention contemplates means to eject from the band feeding mechanism the short length occurring upon coming to the end of a roll. Thus, and by way of example, if a given operation requires for each strapping operation ten feet of the banding material, more often than not at the end of a roll there will be less than ten feet of the material to make the last banding from the roll. This results in a misbanding cycle of the apparatus, oftentimes resulting in fouling the banding apparatus, requiring it to be shut down and cleared by hand.

Our invention contemplates means located ahead of the actual banding apparatus which shall sense the presence of the banding material being fed to the apparatus so that when a proper length of the same is in position for a proper banding operation the banding apparatus operates normally. However, we provide means which senses the presence in the banding apparatus of a length of handing material shorter than that required. When this occurs our apparatus automatically reverses the direction of the band feeding portion of the apparatus to eject the remnant from the feed mechanism.

Generally stated, our invention in its preferred form contemplates a curved feed tube down and through which the banding material from the roll is fed to the banding apparatus. At a point in the curved tube we provide an opening. Just ahead of the band feeding mechanism of the apparatus we provide an electric switch or other control sensor, actuated by a roller or follower which contacts the band itself. Thus, when there has been fed to the banding apparatus a length sufficient to accomplish the purpose at hand, the switch remains in feed position, whereby the apparatus goes through its normal banding function. How ever, when a length of material shorter than required passes through the feed tube and from beneath the follower or roller which controls the switch, the switch is actuated, reversing the band feeding mechanism. The short length of band material then moves rearwardly or oppositely from its feed direction and is ejected through the opening in the curved feed tube. The strapping cycle is automatically stopped at this point and an indicator light or audible signs may be actuated to alert the operator to replenish the supply of strapping.

Apparatus illustrating features of our invention is shown in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application in which:

FIG. 1 is a wholly diagrammatic view illustrating our invention in association with a motor driven feed for the banding material together with a wiring diagram;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational View of the feed tube and switch control means;

FIG. 3 is a bottom View of the feed tube shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view through the end of the feed tube adjacent the banding apparatus feed means;

FIG. 5 is a detail sectional view taken generally along line VV of FIG. 3 and illustrating the construction adjacent the remnant discharge opening of the feed tube; and,

FIG. 6 is a detail sectional View taken generally along line VI-VI of FIG. 2.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of our invention we show the same in association with a reversible drive feed means which, for convenience of illustration, is shown as a reversible electric feed motor 10 and an idler roller 11, such parts forming portions of a complete banding apparatus, not otherwise shown. These parts may be mounted in a housing or frame 12 and the banding or strap 13 is adapted to pass between the roller 11 and the roller 14 driven by the motor 10. As will be understood, the band 13 is drawn from a continuous roll of the same diagrammatically indicated at 16. The apparatus is so timed that the motor 10, when actuated as will be explained, draws off from the roll a certain length of the material, this being enough to wrap the given package, bale, bundle, or the like being operated upon. After this operation, other mechanism not shown overlaps the ends of the strap, tightens it, places a clip or the like about it and severs the band adjacent the clip.

At 17 we show a curved feed tube through which the banding material 13 passes on its way from the roll 16 to the motor driven feed rolls 14. While we here illustrate apparatus particularly adapted to feed fiat, steel strapping material 13, as the description proceeds it will be apparent that our invention is adapted for use in feeding other types of banding materials, such as wire.

The feed tube 17 has at its lower discharge end a housing 18 carrying a collar 19. The feed tube 17 is secured to the housing by running in on set screws 21 and 22 provided in the collar whereby the end of the feed tube is attached to the housing 18.

The housing 18 is provided with converging upper and lower walls 23 and 24 which in effect provide a continuation of the passage for the strap or banding 13. The housings 23 and 24 are provided with notches or slots 26 for a purpose later to appear.

Mounted in the housing is a two-way electric switch indicated generally by the numeral 27. Pivotally connected as at 29 is a switch arm 31 carrying at its end a roller 32. Arm 31 is biased downwardly by spring 28. The roller 32 is adapted to engage the top surface of the moving band of material and, in the absence of such material is adapt ed, because of spring 28, to move downwardly to the dotted position shown in FIG. 4, that is, down into the slot 26 thus to actuate the switch in another direction as will later appear.

In a curved lower portion of the tube we cut away a portion to provide an opening 33 of a size to permit the ejection from the tube of a length of the banding material. Inside the tube and just above the slot 33, namely, ahead of the slot relative to the feeding direction of the material, We provide a guide baffle 34. This baffle permits the automatic threading of the material when it is desired to start a new roll, it being apparent that by pushing an end of a piece of banding or the like downwardly through the tube the baffle 34 causes the end of the band to ride past the lower edge of slot 33 and to feed downwardly, under the roller 32 and thence into the driving or feeding means.

At 36 we provide another baffie. This baffle is located in the upper wall, just rearwardly of the opening 33 when considering the normal or feed direction of the strapping material. Baflle 36 is placed and shaped to be struck by the end of a reversely moving length of material and to defleet the same into the opening 33.

From what has been so far described it will be seen that when the banding material coming from the roll 16 is in tube 17, it passes under the switch arm roller 32 and holds that roller in uppermost position. Referring now to the wiring diagram, FIG. 1, it will be seen that the motor 10, through switch 27 and a relay control switch 38 may be caused to run in either direction, depending upon the position of the switch 27. In the position shown in FIG. 1 it will be seen that the motor is energized to feed the band 13 to the left as shown in FIG. 1, in the normal or feeding direction. However, as soon as the banding material runs out from under the roller 32, as for instance at the end of a roll, almost instantaneously the switch 27 is moved to close the contacts 27a and 27b, thereby energizing the relay R controlling switch 38. Closing of switch 38 opens contacts 38a and 38b, causing motor to run in reverse even though the returning short length of band raises roller 32 and again closes switch contacts 27e and 27 The short length or remnant of the strapping material thus moves to the right as shown in the several views, whereby its righthandmost, reversely moving end strikes the baffie 36, causing the end of the strap to pass out the opening 33 to discharge. It will be noted that the relay switch R is provided with holding contacts 38c and 38d. Thus, relay R remains energized until the system is deenergized by opening switch 39. A warming device which may be a signal lamp 41, bell or the like, is energized whenever relay R is energized, thereby to warn the operator that the apparatus is out of banding material.

From what has been described the operation and advantages of our invention may now be more fully understood. With the banding material being fed from the roll 16 it will be seen that switch arm 31, due to the contact of its roller 32 with the top of the band, holds the switch with contacts 27a and 27b open and with contacts 27e and 27f closed. Relay R is deenergized and its contacts are in the position shown. Upon the absence of material under roller 32, spring 28 moves switch 27 to the position to close contacts 27a and 27b, energizing relay R thereby reversing the direction of rotation of the feed motor 10, ejecting the short length.

In connection with the wiring diagram it will of course be understood that we have shown only a portion of the total control circuits for associating the device with a complete banding apparatus. That is to say, we have shown circuitry only for operating the motor 10 in its feeding and reverse directions in response to the presence or absence, respectively, of the material under the roller 32. In practice there are other control circuits which in effect control the circuits herein shown and described, it really being the function of the circuits shown in the drawings to ready the motor for operation for feeding the strip.

Our invention has proven to be extremely practical and satisfactory. Where our apparatus is associated with apparatus for banding relatively large bundles or bales such as bales of fiber, it is particularly advantageous to be able to eject the remnant from the rolls of banding material. This is true because of the fact that the banding must traverse a course through substantially closed guides in order to encircle the bale and the feeding into such guides of a length less than that required to complete the particular band results in having to clear the apparatus by hand. With our improved apparatus, however, the clearing of remnants from each supply roll is automatic. This permits the operator simply to thread the end of the new roll of banding material into the tube 17, where it is engaged, after passing under the switch arm 32, by the. feed rollers, and the operation is ready to commence again.

In view of the foregoing it will be apparent that we have devised an improved apparatus for effecting from banding eed mechanisms the remnants which are present at the end of each roll of the same. Our invention is extremely simple and may be applied to many types of existing banding apparatus. Also, while we have shown and described the banding material as being of the kind requiring a clip to hold the overlapped ends, our invention is equally useful when using wire or the like, the ends of which are secured by twisting, etc. Still further, drive means other than electric may be used, as for example, air or hydraulic motors.

While we have shown our invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various other changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof.

What we claim is:

1. In apparatus for feeding banding from a supply roll or the like to banding apparatus,

(a) motorized feed means effective to engage the band and move it into the banding apparatus, and

(b) control means for the motorized feed means effective in response to the absence of material thereat to reverse the direction of the motorized feed means, whereby short lengths of the banding, as at an end of a roll of the same, are discharged from the apparatus.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which feed means includes a tube-like guide for the material located ahead of said control means, there being an opening in a side of said tube located in position for the reversely moving, short lengths of material to eject from said tube through said opening.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 in which there is a bafile in said guide tube located in position for the end of a reversely moving length of material to strike the same, whereby the said end is directed toward the opening in the tube.

4. The combination with apparatus having motor driven feed means for feeding banding material and the like wherein it is desired to eject from said feeding apparatus remnants of said material which are shorter than a predetermined length, of:

(a) means ahead of the feeding means responsive to the presence of said material in said apparatus to energize the motor driven feed means therefor in material feeding direction, and

(b) means ahead of the motor driven feeding means responsive to the absence of material in the apparatus to reverse the feeding direction of the motor driven feed means, whereby upon the feed means attempting to complete the feeding of a length of material shorter than a predetermined length, said shorter length is reversely fed for removal from the apparatus.

5. The combination with motor driven feed means for feeding lengths of material such as banding, wherein under certain conditions it is desired to eject a length of said material previously fed at least partially, of:

(a) means ahead of the feeding means responsive to the presence of material thereat to energize the motor driven feed means in material feeding direc tion, and

(b) means responsive to the absence of material thereat to energize the motor driven feed means in a direction to eject from the feed means a length of previously fed material. 6. In apparatus for feeding lengths of material from a roll or the like of the same, including motor driven feed mechanism adapted to draw the material into the apparatus,

(a) means to eject lengths of said material which are shorter than desired comprising:

(1) feeding direction controls for the motorized [feed mechanism responsive to the presence of material therein to cause the motor to operate in feeding direction, and (2) said controls being elfective upon the absence of material therein to reverse the direction of the References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,912,099 11/1959 Brouse et a1. 22611 X 3,092,296 6/1963 Andrews 22649 8/1966 Olds 226-11 X ALLEN N. KNOWLES, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.

feeding motor, thereby to discharge a length 15 44 49 of material which is shorter than desired. 

